Suction cleaner



mmh 22, (932.,

H. GL FAxRr-Ax I 1,850,710

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Feb. 17. 19:50

Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOWARD G. FAIRFAX, OFNORTH CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T THE HOOVER COMPANY, OF NORTH CANTON,OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF OHIO BUCTION CLEANER Application med February17, 1930. Serial No. 428,862.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners and particularly tomeans for adjusting the height of the nozzle of a suction cleaner above.the surface covering undergoing cleaning. More specifically theinvention relates to a new and novel means for adjusting the rear castorof the suction cleaner so that the cleaner is pivoted about thefront-supporting wheels as an axis.

A suction cleaner must be adaptable foi use upon surface coverings ofvarious thicknesses and degrees of stiffness and, in order that themachine may always function with maximum efficiency, it is necessarythat the lips of the nozzle of the suction cleaner contact the surfacecovering undergoing cleaning, for without such Contact the air entersthe nozzle of the cleaner without passing over or through the surfacecovering and performs no useful function. When used upon a surfacecovering in which the pile or nap is relatively short thefront-supporting wheels of the cleaner rest substantially upon the topof the surface covering and do not sink into it and it is necessary toadjust the nozzle to a relatively low position in order that it maycontact the covering. If the cleaner is taken from such a covering toy acovering provide with relatively long and soft pile into which thefront-supporting wheels will sink, the lips of the nozzle will not onlycontact the top of the pile of the covering` but will extend thereintoresulting in a condition in which the cleaner is hard to operate andalso in reduced cleaning efficiency. In such a condition it is necessaryto raise the nozzle so that it will rest lightly upon the upper surfaceof the surface covering. By means of the present invention the necessaryadjustment of the nozzle height may be accomplished;

It is an object of the present invention,-

therefore, to provide a new and novel means for adjusting the height ofthe suction cleaner nozzle relative to the surface covering. It is afurther object of the present invention to provide a construction inwhich the adjustment is accomplished with a minimum of effort and inwhich no locking means are reo quired to maintain an adjustment once ithas been made. A still further object is the provision of novelheight-adjusting means in a .suction cleaner by which the cleaner may bepivoted about the front-supporting wheels through the raising orlowering of'the rear castor. Other and more specific objects will appearupon reading the following specification and taking into considerationthe drawings annexed thereto.

Referring now to the drawings Figure 1 discloses a side view of asuction cleaner embodying the present4 invention with certain partsbroken away.

.Figure 2 is a section upon the line 2-2 of F1 re 1. igure 3 is apartial cross section of Figure 2 upon the line 3 3.

In the drawings, a suction cleaner, indicated generally by the referencecharacter 1, comprises the usual parts of a suction cleaner includingthe nozzle 2, the fan chamber 3, motor casing 4, pivoted handle bail 5,frontsupporting wheels 6, of which only one is shown, andrear-supporting wheel or castor 7. The front-supporting wheels of thecleaner are ixedly attached and serve as the axis about which thecleaner is pivoted for the adj ustment of the nozzle height. Rear castord 7 is rotatably mounted between two rearwardly extending arms,indicated generally by the reference characters 8 and 9, which form aframe and are pivoted at their 0pposi te ends to the bearing member orbolt 10 which is supported between the downwardly extending legs 11 and12 of the bracket 13 which is fixedly attached to the bottom of themotor casing 4 as by rivets 14.

Motor casing 4 is provided with a circular thickened portion 15 in itsrear face which provides, by means of al circular bore 16 eX- tendingtherethrough, a seat for the bearing,

.indicated by the reference character 17, which supports the rearwardend of the motor shaft 18. Protective shells 19 and 20 are positionedupon the opposite sides of the bearing 17 and are secured to thethickened portion -15 by means of rivets 21 extending therethrough.

The outer face of the rear wall of casing 4 is provided with a circularrecess, indicated generally by the reference character 22, and seatedwithin recess 22 is a circular 10 plate 23 with its outer facesubstantially fiush with the surface of casing 4. Plate 23 is providedwith a cylindrical body portion 24 at its diametrical center which isinternally threaded. Positioned within the body 24 of plate 23, inscrew-threaded relation therewith, is a bolt securing-member 25 which isprovided with an intermediate cylindrical shoulder 26 and a hexagonalhead. The diameter of the cylindrical shoulder 26 is substantially thatof the outer surface of body 24 and, in fact, forms a continuationthereof. Rotatably mounted and spaced from the hexagonal head of thebolt 25 which vsecures it in place, by means of a washer 27, is therotatable knob member 28 which is provided with a cylindrical extension29 at its center which closely surrounds the shoulder 26 and extendsover upon body portion 24 of plate 23. Fixedly carried by the inner endof cylindrical portion 29 is the cam member 30 whose outer surfaceresembles a spiral of Archimedes. Slidingly positioned between theopposing faces of the cam 30 and the plate 23 is a vertically movablemember or riser 31 provided with an elongated eye 32 at its upper end ofa width corresponding to the diameter of the cylindrical portion 24 ofplate 23 and which permits member 31 to slide vertically relative tosaid central portion. The lower end of member 31 extends through akeyway 33 in the channel member 13 and its lower extremity extends atright angles to its major portion and, being slightly curved downwardlyat its end, forms a seat which rests upon the transversely extending pin35 carried by arm members 8 and 9. Positioned upon member 31 immediatelybelow the eye 32 is a small circular pin 36 which is adapted to contactthe surface of cam 30 to limit the upward movement of the member 31.

`Wound about the bolt 10 with one of its ends contacting the undersurface of channel 13 while the other contacts the underside of pin 35between the legs 8 and 9 is a spring 37 which functions at all times tourge the frame, comprising the arm members 8 and 9 and the pin 35,upwardly about its pivot point and the pin 35 against the seat 34 of thevertical member 31, which is accordingly maintained in its uppermostposition permitted by the cam 30.

The adjustment of the nozzle height in a cleaner provided with theadjusting means constructed as in the present invention, iscomparatively simple. Depending upon Whether it is desired to raise orlower the nozzle the knob member 28 is turned to the right or left. Asknob 28 rotates, cam 30 also rotates and its outer surface contacts thepin 36 carried by the vertically movable member 31 which is springpressed into contact therewith by action of the spring 37. As the camrotates the pin 36 is either depressed down- Wardly or is permitted tomove upwardly under the action of the spring. As the vertical member 31contacts the rigidly carried pin 35 at its lower end, any change invertical position ot member 31 results in a pivotal movement of the armmembers 8 and 9 and accordingly the castor 7 about the pivot point ofthe arms at the bolt 10. With the desired adjustment set it isunnecessary to provide any means to insure its continuance for the forcewhich may be exerted upon the rear castor cannot be transmitted into arotational torque of the cam member 30 as the pin 36 through which sucha force would necessarily be transmitted to the cam is positioneddirectly below the cam center and, no lever arm being present. the forcecannot be transmitted into a rotational torque.

I claim j 1. In a suction cleaner, a casing, a rear wheel, a framepivotally connecting said wheel to said casing, and means to angularlyadjust said frame comprising a rotatable cam carried by said casing anda member vertically slidable relative to the casing which contacts saidframe.

2. In a suction cleaner, a supporting element, a casing, a framepivotally connecting said element to said casing, a plate including acylindrical hub portion carried by said casing, a rotatable memberincluding a cam mounted on said hub portion and a member slidable onsaid hub extending between said cam and said frame and adapted totransmit force therebetween.

3. In a suction cleaner, a supporting element` a casing, a framepivotally connecting said element to said casing. a plate including acylindrical internally threaded hub portion carried by said casing. arotatable member including a cam mounted on said hub portion, a securingmember threadedly connected to said hub portion and contacting saidrotatable member, and a member having `an eve at its upper endsurrounding said hub portion and slidable thereon extending between saidcam and said frame and adapted to transmit torce therebetween.

4. Ina suction cleaner, a. casing, a rear wheel. means pivotallvconnecting said wheel to said casing. a member rotatablv mounted at therear of said casing including a cam and a verticallv adjustable memberoperativelv connected between said cam and said pivotal connecting meansto exert a force therebetween, and spring means to maintain said pivotalconnecting means against said vertically adjustable member and saidverticallv adjustable member against said cam.

5. In a device of the kind described, a body to be supported, asupporting element, a. framepivotallv connecting said element to saidbodv, and means to cause pivotal movement of said element comprising arotatable member having a cam surface and carried by said body andspaced from said frame, and a second member slidable on said bodyextending between said cam surface and said frame and adapted totransmit force therebetween.

Signed at North Canton, in the county of Stark, and State of ho, this10th day of February, A. D. 1930.

HOWARD G. FAIRFAX.

